01 January 2024 , 22:15
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EastEnders' Pat Butcher star, Pam St Clement, had a secret affair and felt "no guilt".
She first appeared in Walford in 1986 and quickly became a fan favourite. For 25 years Pam was a key part of the soap, involved in many dramatic storylines. However, in 2012, her character left the show for good. Fans will remember how she was written out in January after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.
Pat made a surprise return in 2016, during Peggy Mitchell's (Barbara Windsor) final episode. Off-screen, Pam has led an interesting life. In 2015, she revealed for the first time that she had an affair with a woman. Pam, who identifies as bisexual, was married to a man named Andrew Gordon in the 1960s - but they later divorced.
Pam is best known for her role as Pat Butcher in EastEnders (BBC)It appears that Pam's secret lesbian affair contributed to the end of their marriage. In her autobiography The End of The Earring, Pam confessed that realising she was bisexual was like a "bombshell." She also admitted to having an affair with a woman while in Australia.
The seasoned actress shared that being away from Andrew helped her forget about their failing marriage. However, she confessed that leaving her new love interest was heartbreaking. She said: "I fell, not for some bush-whacking hunk, but for a woman. It was a time of discovery and abandon, of excitement and freedom. I wanted to woo and be wooed and felt no guilt."
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Pam continued: "That month in Sydney went all too quickly and we were soon saying our farewells at the airport with promises of reunions back in the UK. I nearly missed the plane, I was so bereft at leaving." Eventually, Pam started dating a woman named Diana. But in her book, she admitted that her tendency to "over-care" can sometimes "smother" relationships.
Opening up to The Mirror back in 2015, Pam said she had the odd gay fling “but nothing meaningful”. Then she fell in love with Diana, who was to become a major part of her life. She said: “I fell for an attractive woman who was intelligent, witty and fun to be with. Diana and I settled into a happy and stable relationship.
"Looking back, I wonder if I should have stayed on my own. I want to love and be loved but I am fiercely independent. But this was a relationship I couldn’t resist. It was a new experience, exciting and different in every way. We had our own professions but made a home together.
“But our life together was not destined to last. I can smother a close relationship. I have a tendency to over-care, to think and do for the other person. This, coupled with me becoming very well known, brought pressures on our relationship.” Pam added: “Diana and I both withdrew into our own pain.
“It was time to let go, for each of us to make a new life. It is a sorrow when you meet someone who has meant so much only to realise it cannot be forever.” Pam explained she has always been amused that she’s been propositioned by both men and women over the years. She revealed: “I’ve had many proposals of marriage and even an offer of a ‘threesome’ - all of which got the thumbs down! I was also tickled US EastEnders addicts voted Pat Butcher as the woman with the most sex appeal in the show."
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